A Japanese-inspired garden in Rhapsody Residences

MANILA, Philippines - In the hard-hat world of construction, DMCI Homes can give other residential developers a lesson or two in advancing well-being as an integral aspect of mid-income condominium development.

In Muntinlupa City , a Japanese-inspired garden within the 3.8-hectare Rhapsody Residences serves as a centerpiece of tranquility just meters off South Superhighway. The garden succeeds in highlighting the community’s overarching theme that hints at Japanese aesthetics and admirable sense of discipline, from the design of the buildings to the landscape.

 According to Alexis Valiente, DMCI Homes landscape manager, the company goes beyond the typical offerings of its competitors in the middle-income level. Inside Rhapsody, approximately 1.7 hectares was devoted to landscaping alone. Its rivals usually claim to devote 40 percent open spaces in their projects but the truth is that the figure represents amenitized spaces, which means it is also comprised of the pavilion, pools, and other facilities. “When you say landscape,” he clarifies, “it includes lawns and open fields, shrubs, trees... In DMCI Homes, we offer the landscape in its pristine form.”

 What the residents have in Rhapsody is a themed garden, around 430 sqm in size, anchored on Japanese aesthetic principles. Valiente points out that the Japanese have elevated miniaturization into an art form (as a result of their country’s limited land area) by creating representations of nature: mountains appear through undulating lands in the garden, and the essence of the sea is distilled in koi ponds. Within the DMCI Homes community, the koi pond surrounds a large portion of the clubhouse, creating an illusion of a floating structure.

 Another Japanese garden design principle employed by DMCI Homes is “borrowed scenery.” Instead of lining up a row of buildings at the back of the property, the developer placed portions of outdoor amenities there and then landscaped the area so it serves as a foreground that visually merges into the distant vista. “You’ll see parts of Laguna de Bay from within the community,” he says. 

 The third principle is “hide and reveal.” The garden isn’t exposed all at once; rather, the place is laced with a winding pathway that conceals some of the nature elements to engender a sense of playful intrigue. Bamboo is used extensively in the Japanese-inspired garden at Rhapsody Residences to achieve this purpose. Furthermore, DMCI Homes emulates the principle of asymmetry because it wants to cultivate, not a static garden, but a dynamic one that offers many invigorating views that encourage families to enjoy the outdoors.